I have started the upgrade process, but the process has identified that there are loads of duplicated users and it won't transfer them to the new database. It will take me until next Christmas to delete them by hand.

I have asked phpBB for help, via their forum so I will just have to wait and see.

If that fails I will probably be able to write a script that will run through the database and delete the duplicates.

I will keep you up to date.

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club

I am testing the upgrade from phpBB2 to phpBB3 by using a copy of the forum database.

I seemed to remove the duplicate usernames OK.
I then started to convert the current database to the new database that phpBB3 uses.
You may not believe this, but it is TRUE, I have been running the conversion now for over 36 HOURS and it's still running.
I have no idea of knowing when the conversion will be complete, but when it is I will test the conversion before I go ahead with the 'real' conversion.
Unfortunately, I will have to 'cut off' the forum during the conversion.
I will post a new FRONT page on the forum to say that it has been ctu off for upgrading.

Watch this space...

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club

will the upgrade do anything about the number of registerwed users ? We appear to have 79,000 members. Obviously we dont but some are being registered as members despite not getting allowed. As explained here ...
http://countrymusic.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7703I haven't visited the register page since joining up. Does it have a captcha to winnow out the bots ?

Good news that it is cancelling multiple registrations, but will it cancel all but the first or will it allow people with more than one login to decide which one they want to carry on with ?

The signature space has characture limit of 255, do you happen to know how this equates to pixels- LxH

That's very dependent of the number of pixels on the screen, so that it's nearly impossible to get a "perfect", aka precise and material independent answer to that question. You have to dive into the Font, search for its kernel, its height, width, etc, etc, depending of the size of the font, its variant, whether it is normal, bold, italic, etc, subscript or not. This is possible and there exists tools for this. But even if you do that, it can be later retransformed on your screen depending on its virtual size (not the physical one). Say, for example you simulate a 20" screen on a 17" one.

Hope this answers your query...

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club

will the upgrade do anything about the number of registerwed users ? We appear to have 79,000 members. Obviously we dont but some are being registered as members despite not getting allowed. As explained here ... http://countrymusic.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7703I haven't visited the register page since joining up. Does it have a captcha to winnow out the bots ?

Good news that it is cancelling multiple registrations, but will it cancel all but the first or will it allow people with more than one login to decide which one they want to carry on with ?

The number of registered users will not be changed with the upgrade. The only way to reduce it is to delete them manually.
I think that the upgrade version will allow deletion of inactive users, but until it's up and running I'm not sure.
Removing the duplicates will reduce the numbers, but only by about a few hundred.
However Bill if you want to trogg through all inactive users and delete them - BE MY GUEST.
I can tell you that there are 4430 users that didn't get activated, and that is just since the begining of January 2011.
No doubt this helps to acount for the record number of hits that the site is enjoying. It has just exceeded 400,000 in the last 7 days.

The register page does have a captcha but the bots have got used to it. I tried to install a better one, a long time ago, but made a completed mess of it.
Previousy the program activated all new registrations, but I have now added an extra page so that when a new application is made, they have to fill in another form.
As a rule of thumb, if the 'activation form' comes through, I relate it to the original registration ans automatically authorise it.
This cut down the new active users by around 99% (give or take a few).

Cancelling duplicate users does not affect multiple logins. It only removes identical usernames, passwords, email addresses etc.
I believe that the upgrade has a better trap built in to prevent duplicate entries.
Although having said that I belive the the duplicates were caused by a program hic-up. All the duplicate usernames have consecutive numbers.

I must say though that my 'test run' is not going well. It keeps hanging and I don't know why.

I will keep you informed of progress...

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club

However Bill if you want to trogg through all inactive users and delete them - BE MY GUEST.

Depends what you mean by "inactive". I know for sure that there are some members who like to pop in and read what is going on without posting themselves. I wouldn't want to exclude them and I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want to either.
On the other hand, there are those who, for one reason or another, have dropped out, died or lost interest.

The only fair way to do it would be to email each member on the email address they signed up with, and ask them if they still want to be a member. If I was retired and had time on my hands I'd do it but right now, I really couldn't.

The only fair way to do it would be to email each member on the email address they signed up with, and ask them if they still want to be a member. If I was retired and had time on my hands I'd do it but right now, I really couldn't.

I think it would be better to wait until the new forum is running full time. There may be a way for sorting the members 'en block'. I was only joking when I suggested that you might like to trogg through the membership list.
However, whay harm are they doing ???
The registartions that are NOT approved are just sat there.

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club

The only fair way to do it would be to email each member on the email address they signed up with, and ask them if they still want to be a member. If I was retired and had time on my hands I'd do it but right now, I really couldn't.

I think it would be better to wait until the new forum is running full time. There may be a way for sorting the members 'en block'. I was only joking when I suggested that you might like to trogg through the membership list.
However, whay harm are they doing ???
The registartions that are NOT approved are just sat there.

The MAN, The MYTH, The LEGEND:
John C
________________________________
Support your local Country Music Club